Born of the Dead
by Victoria Hughes
Summary: COMPLETE. Ten years after Yami passed on, a kid that looks like him shows up at Duel Academy.  He's creepy and weird ... and apparently scared of Yuugi.  Why?  Centers around Kaiba, Jonouchi, and Yuugi, and set loosely in the YuGiOh GX universe.
1. A Creepy Kid

**A/N: **_the obligatory reincarnation story. I just had to do it. It's not going to be long, only three chapters at most. Don't look for plot here, either. Yami/Yuugi centric, with some Seto and Jonouchi for good measure._

It was going to be a _weird _day.

Seto Kaiba knew this immediately from the moment his eyes opened. He couldn't explain it, but he just _knew._ He went through his morning routine – brushing his teeth, taking a shower, calling the bodyguard he had with Mokuba to make sure his little brother was doing all right at college, and studied his itinerary for the day.

Ah, right … he was making rounds at the Duel Academy today. Duel Monsters was a continuing success, thanks to the impressive holographic technology that Seto had developed. Now simpler, less sophisticated versions of the Duel Disks were available to almost everyone, and those amateurs whose parents were willing to cough up the money (and a few charity cases: Seto had never forgotten his roots, not really) were able to send their children to the summer camp that was Duel Academy. The game was harmless enough, if addicting.

_Now, _Seto found himself thinking before remembering that he didn't believe in any of this Shadow Game crap that Mutou and his friends insisted on rambling about. It had been nine years since Mutou and his friends had flown to Egypt, and when they had returned Mutou's precious puzzle was gone from his neck.

From there Mutou had gone on to win several prestigious tournaments, secure himself enough money for college, and now he was an overseer for Seto's Duel Academy every summer. The shrimp had, not unexpectedly, become a teacher. _He was always instructing everyone around him … seems like that's what he was born to do._

Mutou was effective, but Seto's occasional presence helped assure everyone stayed on task. Nothing quite like your boss' boss' boss to make you keep your ass in line, especially on opening day.

Seto arrived at the 'camp' – housed, delightfully enough, in one of Pegasus' old mansions – precisely five minutes before nine o'clock. He stepped out of the limo to see none other than Mutou standing at the gates, his arms crossed but wearing a friendly smile. "Kaiba-kun," he grinned. "Right on time, as always."

Mutou was a little taller now, but he'd never quite cleared five foot six, and his hair was all black now. The punkish style he'd tended towards in high school was, of course, long gone, save for the choker around his neck. "I understand all the preparations went well," Seto stated.

"You know I always get everything done," Mutou replied. "Just admit it, Kaiba-kun. You like coming on opening day to see the new faces."

Seto didn't dignify that with an answer. "I'm going to take a look around," he said brusquely. "I'll be back in time for opening ceremonies."

"I'll look forward to it," Mutou answered, gesturing Seto inside. The CEO didn't need an escort, and Mutou had nothing to fear from these drop-in inspections.

Everything was spotless as always. The sounds of children became ever greater as the students began to arrive. Seto frightened some secretaries in the office, then moved on to randomly test a few of the provided Duel Disks. The objects were quite durable, but Seto was constantly surprised by the creative ways these children managed to break them.

"Need a dueling partner?"

Seto turned to see Jonouchi in the doorway, smirking. "Later," Seto answered, returning the Duel Disk to where it belonged. "Don't you have anything better to do than wandering around?"

"Dueling Room's all set up and the ceremonies don't start for another half an hour," Jonouchi shrugged. "I'll get to know the students soon enough. Don't you have anything better to do than wander around basking in your own success?"

"… You know, I could always fire you."

"Yeah, I guess you could." Jonouchi smirked, straightening from where he was leaning in the doorjamb. "I dunno what I'd do then," he added, voice dripping with sarcasm.

Like Mutou, Jonouchi wasn't exclusively on Seto's payroll. This was just a part-time job, and Jonouchi wasn't even an instructor – he just helped set things up while he took a few weeks worth of easy hours at his salaryman job. "Well?" Seto asked. "You have a reason for bothering me?"

"Stick around after opening ceremonies, and we'll show these kids a real duel," Jonouchi answered. "And don't forget you promised me a prototype of the new model since I won last time."

"You'll get it when it's done," Seto snorted, brushing past Jonouchi. "I'm going to go see the students."

"I swear, this year they're tryin' to top Yuugi's hairstyle," Jonouchi informed him, falling into step at Seto's side.

Seto allowed himself a smirk. "That would take some doing."

"Tell me about it …"

Jonouchi stopped tagging along when they hit the courtyard, though. The Duel Academy had a record-high number of students this year, and they were all milling around, the less local ones saying goodbye to their parents for the summer, others already cheerfully dueling each other with just cards or with the less sophisticated Duel Disks Seto had put out at lower prices. Seto rapidly saw what Jonouchi meant about the hairstyles … what was it about this game that brought out the J-Rock wannabes and punk-goth-lolis?

But there was one hairstyle that was a blast from the past amongst the rest. Wildly spiked hair with bleached bangs made Seto blink. _An extreme Mutou fan? I'll have to keep an eye on that one. _Imitating hairstyles could be the sign of a stalker, no matter how young these kids were.

The boy was short, but from this angle there was little more that Seto could see. He stood with his hips out and his shoulders rolled forward, his hands in his pockets as he stood silent in the middle of the chaos. Then Seto saw the boy stiffen a little, and his head turned.

Twin brown-red eyes met Seto's without hesitation or fear. Seto's eyebrows rose slightly.

The boy turned fully towards him now, his eyes widening a little, and then he started weaving through the crowd. Seto stood still with his arms crossed, relaxing again. The boy bore an uncanny resemblance to Mutou when Mutou was dueling … the hairstyle didn't help. He looked too young to remember the early days of the Duel Disks, when Seto had been a more active player, but if he was such a big fan of Mutou that he had his hair styled in the same way, then it wasn't too much to expect the boy to recognize Seto Kaiba on sight as well.

The boy finally came to his side, and Seto had to reassess. The boy's chin was no higher than his hip. There was no way he was old enough to remember those early televised Duels …

"Seto Kaiba," the boy said, "Right?"

Seto put his hands in his pockets and looked out over the students. "Yes. And you are?"

"Yamino Shiisen," the boy answered.

Seto was silent for a moment. "And are you a Yuugi Mutou fan?" he asked. "Your parents let you bleach your hair like that?"

"I don't have parents," the boy answered, and Seto blinked, looking down at the boy. But the child brushed right over the subject as if it was of no consequence. "I … I wanted to thank you, for the money," he said, his voice starting out a bit strained before confidence overtook it. "You didn't give it to me in person, but to let me come here … you don't know what you've done for me."

This kid was sophisticated, there was no mistake about that. He talked like he was three times his apparent age. "It's good the donation worked out for you," Seto answered after a moment. "Enjoy your summer." He made to go as the students began to take seats on the lawn chairs where Mutou would be making his opening speech.

It took him a few minutes to realize he had gained a living shadow. Yamino diligently followed Seto as he moved towards the front and took his seat. Seto crossed his arms and glanced back towards the child, who started slightly and tried to look busy. _That kid is weird. He's going to bother me until I leave, too, isn't he?_

But when Mutou reappeared from behind the makeshift stage, Seto caught Yamino's eyes lighting up. _Oh, he's a huge Mutou fan. Of course, _he thought, watching out of the corner of his eye as the kid settled in his chair, clutching his knees to his chest and just … smiling. Like he had found something invaluable that he would never lose again.

_What the hell, why am I even noticing …_

Seto's willpower was naturally nearly unbreakable, and he didn't think again of the boy while Mutou gave his customary opening speech, which included the mystical supposed origins of Duel Monsters, the life skills Duel Monsters could teach children (this was more for the parents than the kids), and how much fun everyone was going to have here. By the time he dismissed everyone, it was just about time for Seto to get back to Kaiba Corporation.

"I've got to go," Seto informed Mutou as the young man stepped down from the platform. "Everything seems to be in perfect order. As usual," he added, speaking in unison with Mutou and scowling when the other man laughed.

"Eventually, you'll learn to trust me," Mutou said. He shook Seto's hand, showing him towards the door. "Jonouchi told me you were going to duel with him today? So you'll be back?"

"He went and decided that on his own," Seto snapped. "… We'll see. Probably not, I'm very busy."

"You always are." Mutou rolled his eyes, then clapped a hand to Seto's shoulder before Seto could go. "When Mokuba's in town, we should all go out and do something fun."

"… We'll see," Seto sighed. "Now get to work. I don't pay you to make vacation plans."

"Yes, sir," Mutou answered with good-humored sarcasm. The man was frustratingly impossible to upset.

Seto climbed back into his limo and went to work, all thoughts on the day ahead of him.

&

It was impossible not to notice the boy, especially after Jonouchi's parting comment about the increasingly crazy hairstyles the students were wearing. Actually, it made Yuugi laugh when he first spotted the wild mop of hair styled so similarly to the way his own had been in high school. "A fan?" he mumbled to himself. "That's a little horrifying …"

Although if Yuugi was going to have a fan, he couldn't have asked for a more skilled one. The children were allowed to trade cards and build their decks and were gifted with six booster packs when they arrived, just to allow them to expand their decks and learn new strategies as their decks evolved with them. Yamino had arrived with only half a deck, from Yuugi's understanding, but using his booster packs and trading cards he'd built a rather standard but formidable Duel Deck that used his most powerful monsters, enhanced with traps and spells.

His favorite card, when asked on their initial survey, was 'Monster Reborn'.

Yuugi had laughed upon reading that. "Oh, it sounds like someone we both knew," he told Jonouchi when asked. "That was always the other—Atem's trump card," Yuugi recalled.

"You're right," Jonouchi smiled. "But don't you think the kid's kinda creepy? I mean, he does his hair like you used to, and his playing style isn't that different either. You don't think he's studied you or anything, do ya?"

"Well …" Yuugi shrugged. "I'm not very worried about it. He's eight years old, and everyone can have an idol, right? Although I'm embarrassed his seems to be me!" He laughed and rubbed the back of his head.

&

Yamino wasn't exactly a loner, but he didn't make any particular effort to make friends, either. Still, he was rather charismatic. The instructors and referees for his age group were impressed by how much he seemed to know about the game, given his age – and when he was asked, Yamino was always ready to give tips. He was completely undefeated in his age group by the time the first week was over. At first some of the supervisors were worried he would have made enemies of those he had beaten – Yamino had a certain arrogant streak about him, after all, and wouldn't hesitate to taunt his opponents – but instead, the other eight-to-ten year olds seemed to hero-worship him. It was unfathomably odd.

Yamino was naturally chosen to be his age group's representation in the camp-wide tournament, but that was two weeks away. In the meantime, during free hours the boy took to playing anyone at all was willing.

It was during one of these free hours that Yuugi encountered the boy outside, shuffling through his deck thoughtfully. Yuugi tried to spend as much time as he could amongst the students, but he had never actually spoken with Yamino. When Yuugi was around he would grow quiet, and one time, when Jonouchi was around, he related his observations.

"The kid just shut up and pretty much just watched you," Jonouchi had told Yuugi. "He had the weirdest smile on his face, too. I'm telling you, the kid's a little creepy."

Well, Yuugi was going to find out for himself. "Yamino-kun?" he asked, sitting down at opposite him at the bench.

The boy jumped, a few cards scattering from his grasp before he could catch them. "Ah!"

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to startle you," Yuugi winced, helping the boy collect his Duel Monsters back into a neat pile. During this entire procedure, the boy didn't say a word, although his mouth opened several times as though he meant to say something.

Finally, as Yuugi's hands neatened the deck, the boy mumbled, "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Yuugi looked for a way to break the ice. "I like your hairstyle," he teased after a moment.

The boy didn't look up at him, his gaze sliding sideways. "I – my hair is just kind of like this, but the bangs … it seemed like it should look like this. Somehow."

Yuugi tried to make sense of that for a moment before giving up. If the boy didn't want to speak through words, there were other ways. "You've done very well assembling your deck," he said gently. "I brought mine … did you want to Duel, Yamino-kun?"

But this didn't go as planned. The boy jumped again at the suggestion, and for just a second, their eyes met before Yamino's flicked back down again. "I … it's – not yet," he stammered. "Not yet. I'm just not ready for that, yet."

But Yuugi was silent, a little stunned. The boy's eyes, they were some kind of red …

_Like the other me …_

But there was little resemblance other than physical between this flustered child and the Pharaoh who had finally passed into the afterlife. _If you discount his undefeated status … and that he's apparently teaching the other students in his age group!_ "You remind me of someone I knew," Yuugi found himself saying.

Yamino didn't look up, but his hands stilled on his deck. "Do I?" he asked quietly, almost plaintively.

"Yes. He was a very dear friend of mine," Yuugi continued. "He loved all kinds of games and he loved teaching others about them. We had a lot of crazy adventures together, my partner and I."

The boy's breath hitched slightly. Just slightly, his shoulders tensing and relaxing again. "What happened to him?"

"He passed on," Yuugi answered solemnly. "We were sad to see him leave, but … it was his time." It sounded so corny, Yuugi couldn't help thinking, when you tried to explain the Door and Atem's death to someone who wasn't there.

"Are you sure?" the boy asked.

Yuugi blinked, drawn out of his reverie. "Am I sure what?" he asked.

"Are you sure it was his time?" The boy's hands were clenched around his deck. "… or …" Suddenly the boy drew his cards to his chest and began to put them away, never lifting his eyes. "I've got to go," he said suddenly, and then he was running across the courtyard. Yuugi probably could have caught him if he ran like he meant it, but that would have been pretty weird.

"He is a little creepy," he mused, but not for the same reason Jonouchi thought he was creepy.

It wasn't a resemblance to Yuugi that Yamino had – it was a resemblance to Yuugi's other self!

&

The next time Yuugi met Yamino, it was under disciplinary circumstances. He made an unlikely pair with his fellow offender, a boy named Kensuke who was three times Yamino's size. Both boys were scratched and dirty, and Yamino was favoring his side, but otherwise they were no worse for the wear and glaring at each other with dangerous intent.

The story from the supervisor went something like this: she had been watching a game of Dungeon Dice when she heard shouts across the field. When she got there, a small crowd had gathered, one of their younger attendees was on the ground looking tearful, and Yamino and Kensuke were full-on going at it with fists. She had hauled both of them up here to Yuugi's office for their punishments.

Yuugi sighed. This wasn't his favorite part of the job … discipline was unpleasant on either end, but there was also the careful balancing act when one was taking care of kids that weren't one's own. "All right," he asked, the two of them, sitting down on the front of his desk, "What happened?"

"He was playing an ante game," Yamino started before the other could get a word in edgewise, which gave him the initial advantage. Ante games were not allowed at the Duel Academy. But Kensuke was quick too.

"She agreed to it," Kensuke protested. "And then outta nowhere this kid comes up and _hits _me," he declared, pointing at Yamino.

"I did not _hit_ you," Yamino snapped, glaring. "And you were taking five of her cards! She wouldn't have been able to play Duel Monsters any more!"

"Yami-BUTTHOLE _pushes _me!" Kensuke finished over Yamino's protests.

"Woah!" Yuugi held up his hands. "Kensuke-kun, you're way too old for name calling." Kensuke scowled, and Yuugi crossed his arms. "All right, so your version of events is that you were playing an ante game, which you know you're not allowed to play, with a consenting player, whose name I'll need from you, when Yamino comes up and stops you by pushing you. What happened then?"

Yamino folded his arms and dropped his head forward, but Yuugi could still see him shooting Kensuke a cold glare. Kensuke wrapped up his story without further interruptions, however: "So Yamino tells me to stop, and I tell him it's none of his business, and then he pushes me again!" Yamino stirred at this, but didn't speak. "So I pushed him back, and I dunno … we just started fighting. But he started it," Kensuke added for good measure.

"You left out the whole game," Yamino protested.

"What?" Kensuke glared at Yamino.

"The game. You don't want to tell M—Mutou-san because you lost and you know it," Yamino declared.

"What game?" Yuugi asked.

"I didn't just come up and push him," Yamino said with a scowl, turning back towards Yuugi. "I mean, I did, but that was just so he would listen to me. I told him that if he would duel me and he won, then he could have my best cards, but if I won he would have to stop playing ante games." The boy smirked, and his face was abruptly very, very old. He was unguarded, unlike last time, and the resemblance to Atem took Yuugi's breath away for a moment. "I won, so Kensuke hit me, and, um … I hit back." Enough for the two of them to be scratched and bruised for a couple of days.

Yuugi considered the stories. Kensuke's was actually the more likely scenario, but Yuugi really wanted to believe Yamino was telling the truth. Duels like that reminded him of high school. "If you're telling the truth, Yamino, you were playing an ante game as well, and that's not allowed," Yuugi informed him. "Fighting isn't allowed either. So, for the both of you! No dueling for two days. Any of the duels you were scheduled to have, you automatically forfeit. Sound fair?"

Both of the boys looked at each other. Then Kensuke began to whine, pouting as eleven-year-olds sometimes do. Yamino closed his eyes, letting out a deep sigh.

"I'll have to take both your decks," Yuugi said. "I promise to return them in mint condition," he added when Yamino gave him a startled look.

Both troublemakers handed over their decks – one with a lot of grumbling, the other with a slight, upset tremor – and Yuugi sent them off to the nurses' office to make certain they were all right.

He was going to have to call parents over this – less because he was afraid the punishment didn't fit the crime, but to cover his own behind. Seto was rich enough that any lawsuit would be met with a wall of lawyers, but Yuugi didn't want anything to tarnish the school's record. Kensuke's parents were luckily in agreement with Yuugi and promised to talk to their son when they picked him up from the Academy that night (they were very local).

Yamino, however, had no parents to call. The phone number he reached was his current guardian, who had only had Yamino in his foster home for six months.

Yuugi related the story Yamino had told as well as his own theories about what had happened and what Yamino's punishment was. Yamino's guardian had agreed with every word. "He's a good kid," the man, a Mr. Sagara, said. "It's a little unlike him to get into physical fights, but the game thing sounds right on. He's been saving up every penny of his allowance to buy those booster packs every week, so the six booster packs were just as much of a gift as the summer camp."

"Gift?" Yuugi had asked. Seto had not said anything about this!

"From Kaiba Corp! Some kind of promotion thing, or maybe simply charity … Yamino won his ticket in a raffle held by our local child services center. The sponsor was Kaiba Corporation."

"That must have been quite a treat," Yuugi said, still blinking at the far wall of his office.

"Oh, very much so. You should have seen Yamino. It was like he came alive," Sagara chuckled. "Well, I'll let you – Kenichi! Off the table! – let you go."

"Good evening, Sagara-san," Yuugi answered respectfully, hanging up.

Oh, Jonouchi was going to love hearing this one.

&

Three days later Seto woke up to find a message in his voicemail that went something like this:

_Ahahaha! You big fat hypocrite! You're really just a big softie, aren't you!? Ahahahhahaaa … next time you call me 'mutt' I'm going to call you 'marshmallow', so be careful who you insult, Seto!_

"… Jonouchi, I am going to kill you in your sleep," Seto vowed.

&

The Tuesday before the summer camp closed was the day of the exhibition matches. The three top duelists involved with camp would play each other for the entertainment of the students: Seto Kaiba, the CEO of Kaiba Corporation; Katsuya Jonouchi, the owner of the best chance deck in the nation, and Yuugi Mutou, the man who retained the title King of Games from the Duelist Kingdom some ten years before. The students who were in the semifinals of the campwide matches were given the best seats – and that meant Yamino was sitting right next to Jonouchi while Yuugi and Seto came onto the stage, Duel Disks strapped to their arms.

The creepy kid was still a little creepy in Jonouchi's opinion, but he'd never interacted with Yamino before today. The kid was already in his seat when Jonouchi sat down, having just been defeated by Yuugi by a slim margin. Ah well, with Yuugi it was always friendly competition. With Kaiba … it was something else. He smirked and took his seat.

Yamino had been thus far curled up in his seat, his knees drawn to his chest with his arms wrapped around them, but now he lowered his feet and leaned forward in his chair, his fists on his knees. Jonouchi was a little surprised to see a kid his age so into Duel Monsters, but then again, it really was supposed to be a kid's card game.

"You having fun?" he asked, crossing his arms and leaning back in his chair.

"This is the first time in – the first time I've seen Kaiba and my—Mutou-san play each other in person," the boy breathed. "I feel like I'm right there with them, when I'm this close."

_My Mutou? _Jonouchi scowled. No, the boy hadn't meant it like that; he had been about to say something other than 'Mutou' when he started. "Hey, kid, what do you mean?" he asked, trying to be nonchalant about it, but the kid looked back at Jonouchi in question.

_Shit, he has red eyes. Now that is really creepy. _"'My' what?" Jonouchi prompted.

Yamino's cheeks started to redden, and he frowned. "Nothing," he protested, and turned back to the game. Jonouchi let it drop for the time being.

Damn, this game was getting exciting. Jonouchi found himself leaning forward as well when Kaiba played his three Blue Eyes White Dragons together. "Oh, sh—" he started.

"He's going to polymerize them," Yamino was breathing. "Use the Sword of Revealing Light! The Dark Magician should be enough, together with that book of spells, to stop one of them. And you haven't drawn Dark Magican Girl yet, have you …?"

"Sword of Revealing Light!" Yuugi called, and with only two cards in Kaiba's hand, he had a 50/50 chance of success. Luck was with Yuugi, and the Polymerizaton card was pinned down for three turns.

Jonouchi stared at the kid. It was like he'd been present for every one of Yuugi's games … or even the games of the Other Yuugi …

"The sealed card, that's Monster Reborn," Yamino whispered. "Just like before, aibou. Kill one of the Blue Eyes, and wait to spring that trap."

_Waitaminute. 'Aibou'!? _Jonouchi felt his eyes going wide. "Yamino—"

Yuugi was doing exactly as Yamino was saying, as though they were communicating – or as if Yamino was reading Yuugi's mind. Kaiba visibly kept himself from cursing when one of his Blue Eyes were vaporized.

"Yamino!" Jonouchi grabbed the boy's shoulder, and the kid startled like he'd been shocked with electricity. His eyes met Jonouchi's, and they were red, so red, not even a little brown like Yuugi had said. "... No … the other Yuugi …?"

"Jonouchi," the boy said in a tone that wasn't very much like a child at all. "… I want to watch this duel to the end. Will you watch with me?"

"I – yes," Jonouchi managed, his tongue stuck in his throat.

The game went on for ten more turns, Yamino whispering instructions and sighing in defeat or making small gestures for victory.

Yuugi won, and Jonouchi was sure that no one cheered louder than little Yamino.

_tbc_


	2. Deja Vu

**Chapter 2: Déjà vu**

At lunchtime Jonouchi sought out the little bugger, which was harder than he expected. It seemed like the kid was skillfully avoiding him, disappearing whenever Jonouchi got close. Still, he was a kid and an attendee as well, so that limited the places he could go without getting in trouble. Jonouchi finally cornered him at the buffet table.

For a moment they just looked at each other, before Yamino dropped his gaze and picked up his plate, putting it in his lap. "Your chance deck is really amazing, Jonouchi," the boy said, not looking up as he picked up his sandwich. "With Kaiba, you really beat the odds. I think he's furious, losing twice today."

"Oh, he'll try to get me back, but we're evenly matched now," Jonouchi scoffed before growing more serious. "… Of course I won, I believe in the heart of the cards … you taught me that."

The boy didn't respond for a long moment, and when he did, it was with effort. "I don't remember everything," he said slowly. "I remember most of it, but not everything."

It was the closest thing Jonouchi was going to get to a confession. "So you _are_ the other—Atem," he said slowly.

"…" the boy put down his fork and scratched the back of his head, still not looking up. "Was that his name?"

Jonouchi sat back with a sigh. "You didn't know?" The boy just shrugged and Jonouchi griped, "Why is this conversation like pulling teeth with you? Geez, the other Yuugi just _loved_ to talk." And instruct. Yuugi was a teacher, but he'd learned from the best: almost every word that issued from the Pharaoh's mouth had been instructive – either positively or negatively.

Yamino shrugged again, visibly moping. Jonouchi reminded himself that while this might, in fact, be Atem, he was also a kid. And if Jonouchi remembered anything about being eight years old, it was that talking to adults who weren't your teacher or your parents was at once the weirdest and most embarrassing thing on the planet.

"Hey, look – how about we go get some real food, like a burger or something," Jonouchi suggested. "This fancy stuff is kinda crappy anyway – probably fits Kaiba's tastes. Or some ice cream?" he tried.

At the words 'ice cream', Yamino looked up hopefully. "Mint chocolate ice cream?" he asked.

Jonouchi grinned. _Gotcha! _"Sure, kid, if that's—"

"Insulting the catered food I so graciously provided, Jonouchi?"

Jonouchi twisted to look up at Kaiba, whose eyebrow was twitching slightly. "Dude, don't get your panties in a twist," he smirked. "This food's best for a business meeting. I don't think the kids know what to do with it."

"It's cole slaw and pork sandwiches," Kaiba deadpanned.

"With _carrots_," Jonouchi pointed out. "And fancy dip."

"I like carrots," Yamino put in.

"But not fancy dip," Jonouchi pointed out. "Besides, you don't count."

Yamino frowned at that, but Jonouchi was busy enjoying Kaiba's scowl. "The win today was a fluke. You barely cut my cards so everything was in a bad order for our duel."

"You have no trust in your deck," Jonouchi shot back.

"Wait a moment. Is that déjà vu I feel?" Kaiba snapped. "Ah, yes, it's the same fight we've had a hundred times before this. _There is no 'heart of the cards', _Jonouchi. Your chance deck is just that: pure chance."

"Tell that to my Red Eyes Black Dragon, you … actually, I'd better not call you that, there are kids present," Jonouchi grinned, showing teeth.

"You are a child yourself. You should have your mouth washed out with soap."

"Says the guy who gets twitchy when he loses at a kid's card game!"

"Guys!" Suddenly Yuugi was there, pushing Jonouchi and Kaiba apart from each other with outstretched arms. "Geez, you two always get like this …"

"Sorry, Yuugi. It's impossible to pass up laughing at this guy," Jonouchi smirked. Kaiba started to retort, but Yuugi pressed both hands to the taller man's chest, willing Kaiba away from Jonouchi as he turned back to Yamino. "Sorry, kid, I— aw, where'd he go?"

&

The next day would be the semifinals of Duelist Academy, and then the finals would be the following day. The last day of camp was reserved for packing up, closing ceremonies, and of course, awards for various achievements. It was as Yuugi was finishing up some paperwork for the camp's financial reports that Jonouchi showed up in his office. "Hey, Jonouchi. What's up?" Yuugi asked without looking up.

"Sorry about the fight with Kaiba, Yuugi," Jonouchi apologized. "It kinda got out of hand there."

"Hah. I'm having a bit of déjà vu myself," Yuugi muttered. "I seem to remember hearing this apology last year …"

"And the year before that. And the year before that," Jonouchi acknowledged. "Yeah …"

"Well, it's no big deal. Neither of you swore this time," Yuugi smiled. "This is a change in subject, but I have to tell you, Jonouchi, the duel with Kaiba … it was a little different from usual."

"How so?" Jonouchi asked, seating himself on the couch and sprawling across it.

"I guess it sort of felt like … like the other me was there, giving me guidance like he used to," Yuugi said thoughtfully. "I feel like that sometimes, when I use Atem's techniques, but this time it was different from before." He leaned back in his chair with his hands behind his head, looking at the ceiling. "I don't think I'm explaining this right …"

But Jonouchi sat up suddenly, folding his long legs. "You really felt that?" he asked, utterly serious.

Yuugi sat up as well, starting to frown. "I wouldn't lie about something like this."

"… Creepy," Jonouchi mumbled. "Yuugi, you know that creepy kid, Yamino?"

"Yes?" Yuugi's lips twitched. "You sat next to him today, right? I know the resemblance to the other me is uncanny, but—"

"No, listen," Jonouchi interrupted. "I thought exactly the same thing you did, Yuugi, but today—when you were dueling Kaiba, he was calling each shot before you even laid out your cards. You could chalk that up to studying your techniques, I guess, but this – no way." Jonouchi leaned forward on his elbows. "Yuugi, he called you 'aibou'."

Yuugi drew a short breath. Only a few people on earth really _knew_ about the 'other Yuugi': one of them was technically Kaiba, but the CEO refused to acknowledge it. The others were Yuugi's friends and members of the organization that had guarded the Millennium Items for three thousand years. Only these people knew that Atem referred to his host as 'aibou' – 'partner', with a thousand inferences in between.

"... You're sure?" Yuugi asked.

"Positive." Jonouchi didn't twitch. "I asked him about it afterwards, at lunch – you know, before the fight – and he said he 'remembered most of it'. That was all I could get out of him before the squirt disappeared on me."

Yuugi was sitting very still in his chair, his elbows on his knees. "What does that mean?" he asked aloud, although Jonouchi didn't get the sense Yuugi was asking him for an answer. "The other me passed on, and the Millennium Items were destroyed then, so it's not Shadow Magic …"

"Memory displacement?" Jonouchi suggested. "I get it all the time in the medical transcriptions I do. Besides, didn't the other you do exactly the same thing? His memories were displaced in the Puzzle; maybe they were unknowingly moved onto this kid before the whole thing?"

"But he wouldn't have been born then," Yuugi pointed out. "So that doesn't work."

Jonouchi was quiet for a moment as both contemplated the obvious choice. "… I guess it's time to start worrying about karma," Jonouchi grumbled, "Seeing as reincarnation is real."

Yuugi smiled at the crack. "We don't know that yet."

"But it's the most likely choice," Jonouchi answered.

Yuugi sighed. "Yes," he agreed. It would have been rather ludicrous to anyone but those who had directly interacted with the Millennium Items – and of course, especially believable for Yuugi and perhaps Ryou, who had both directly hosted ancient spirits due to being 'chosen'. "If the other me reincarnated, do you think Bakura reincarnated too …?"

"Who knows? I don't wanna know," Jonouchi grumbled. "Any thoughts on what we should do?"

Yuugi shrugged a little, his eyes distant. "… Unless Yamino-kun wants to talk about it, what can we do? We don't understand anything, really." He sighed aloud. "Leave it alone for now. We have three more days to worry about the Academy, after all. If Yamino-kun has anything to say about it, we should let him speak in his own time."

&

Yamino had always been a bit of a strange child. At the tender age of two he had been brought into a hospital in Tokyo, confused and disoriented, parents nowhere to be found. Of course efforts were made to find the child's parents, but the boy only knew his first name and there were no frantic phone calls to the police to report a missing child of Yamino's age or description. There was a lot of confusion and general shuffling around before the boy was put in the foster care system with the last name 'Shiisen' – 'Seven Thousand' – for his first foster parents.

The system was difficult, of course, and in the six years Yamino had been in the system, he had moved nine times. All of his foster care families had little but good things to say about him: he was fairly quiet, bright, and giving him a puzzle such as a Rubik's Cube could occupy him for hours. His logic skills were excellent and Yamino was confident enough in them that he would get in trouble for arguing.

The only exception had been the home Yamino had stayed in over his seventh birthday. He'd gotten into a fight with another foster kid in the home that had ended with fists. The foster parent, exasperated and frustrated, had broken up the fight and then punched both of them, once, in the face – 'to remind them that fighting hurts'. Needless to say, after that incident the foster parent was removed from the system and the children sent to other homes.

Most foster care homes were grateful to have a child like Yamino, who had suffered little abuse and wasn't a troublemaker. A few had noted that in some ways, Yamino was like a miniature adult. This in and of itself was a bit of a warning bell, but not for the reason most psychologists would have expected.

His discovery of the Duel Monsters game had led to him disappearing for hours into game shops, face pressed to the glass as he stared at rare cards he couldn't afford, and attending the local promotional tournaments. It was quite abruptly his passion.

&

"Monster Reborn! I return Summoned Skull to the battlefield in Attack Mode! Summoned Skull, attack his Harpies!"

Yuugi and Jonouchi sat next to each other with crossed arms and identically raised eyebrows. "That's a good card," Yuugi commented as Yamino played the fiend.

"I wonder how he got it in his deck," Jonouchi mused.

"Well, it's not exactly rare, even though it's a first series," Yuugi pointed out.

Jonouchi's lips curled upwards a little as Yamino's Skull decimated the Harpies and dealt his opponent 500 points of damage, taking him down to zero. "Seems like we're all getting a little déjà vu these days," he muttered as Yamino smirked at his victory. "Summoned Skull must be his best card, if he sent it to the graveyard as a trump summon."

"… He plays almost exactly like the other me did," Yuugi murmured. "And even with a mostly average deck, he has 32 wins and three forfeits – no losses."

"Think it's official yet?" Jonouchi asked.

"… Only Yamino-kun can tell us that," Yuugi answered, clapping along with the rest of the crowd as Yamino was announced the winner. There were a few shouts of 'Yamino-kun! Go Yamino!' from the back of the audience, and Yuugi glanced over his shoulder, laughing at the crowd of eight, nine, and ten-year-olds all cheering Yamino on.

Yamino trotted down the steps confidently, handing over his Duel Disk to the next semi-finalist player, before he looked up and his eyes met Yuugi's. Yuugi smiled encouragingly, but Yamino's face reddened and he shoved his hands in his pockets, striding past his seat with his eyes down. Yuugi wilted a little.

"Why do you think he does that?" he asked Jonouchi.

Jonouchi shrugged. "How am I supposed to know?"

&

"You have to find your own way to play," Yamino was saying. "Everyone has their own style. Imitating someone else's style just doesn't cut it. It's kind of like stealing their heart."

The girl he was instructing listened with her head bent down, her eyes on her pieces. The afternoon had turned stormy, so the students had been ushered inside and allowed free access to any number of board games, logic puzzles, computer games, and the gym room. The boy was playing 'Stratego'.

Seto Kaiba was listening, his head bent towards the doorjamb. Yuugi stood opposite him, watching Kaiba's expression.

"Their heart?" the girl asked.

"You put everything into a game of Duel Monsters, right? Because you don't want to lose: your best cards, your best strategies. That's your heart."

"Yeah, but I'm still learning," the girl laughed. "And it's just for fun, right?"

"Of course it's fun," Yamino scoffed. "Otherwise you wouldn't try your best! You would be bored."

"You learned from watching Mutou-san, didn't you?" the girl asked. "You play a little bit like he does."

There was no immediate reply. Then, "I learned my own way. Oh, your spy."

"Darn it! You're good at everything," the girl griped. "You're going to win again …"

Kaiba raised an eyebrow at Yuugi, then gestured with his head that they should move on. Yuugi fell into step beside Seto.

"I wanted to check that the kid wasn't some kind of stalker wannabe," Kaiba said, not looking at Yuugi. "He seems all right. No signs of a specific obsession with you." He handed Yuugi a folder. "What I compiled on the kid."

"This is thorough," Yuugi muttered, flipping through the stack of papers. "Why did you do this?"

"There's over fifty folders like it in my office. Three contained death threats. One had every picture of you that has ever been published," the CEO replied. "Duel Monsters is an international phenomenon, and you are right at the center of it. You always will be, as long as you keep playing, Mutou."

Yuugi rubbed the back of his head. "But you said Yamino-kun is all right."

"Fortunately, yes." Kaiba crossed his arms as they came to the entrance of the mansion. "I would have suspected his parents more than him, but as he lacks a permanent residence there's no danger. It seems you have an idle fan who had the misfortune of liking your hairstyle."

"Hey," Yuugi protested, smiling. "It looks good on him."

"It looks ridiculous," Kaiba snorted. "It seems he's set up to win the tournament."

"Probably," Yuugi acknowledged. "It'll be nice for him. What are you going to do with his information?"

"I just gave you the only copies." Kaiba opened his umbrella. "Do what you want with it." He stepped out into the rain.

"Um, thank you?" Yuugi called after him.

Kaiba didn't even wave.

&

As expected, Yamino won the tournament. His opponent was a sixteen-year-old who was unexpectedly humbled by a boy half his age and half his height, but he good-naturedly shook Yamino's hand when the duel ended.

Yuugi saw this as his opportunity. It wouldn't look untoward if he took Yamino aside for the afternoon under these circumstances, and he wanted to have the chance to talk to the boy one last time before the end of camp. The real question was whether or not Yamino would be amenable to this.

When the excitement died down and it was time for lunch, Yuugi noticed Yamino was watching him. He stole a quick glance, trying to keep it casual, and for the first time he saw the look Jonouchi had mentioned: a smile, old and proud. A smile from a mentor to his graduating student.

The last smile Atem had ever given Yuugi.

Yuugi turned towards Yamino then, and the smile almost immediately was wiped from the boy's face as he turned around hurriedly, obviously trying to look busy. Yuugi almost laughed at that and approached. "Congratulations on your win today, Yamino-kun."

Yamino blushed a little. "Thanks," he said, not looking up immediately.

"… I heard you like mint chocolate chip ice cream," Yuugi ventured. "Do you mind if I take you to get some? It's only a block or two away."

Yamino's body language at that was mixed: he looked up, visibly interested, but also uncertain. "I … okay. I would like that," he agreed.

"Great! I'll take you right after lunch. We can talk about your game," Yuugi promised, looking for neutral ground given Yamino's apparent desire to evade Yuugi. "See you then." He turned to go before he could embarrass the boy any further.

The walk to the ice cream shop was quiet. Yamino neither looked up at Yuugi nor kept his head down, walking with long strides so that Yuugi could keep up a fairly normal pace. At the shop Yuugi ordered for both of them: "I'll have a scoop of cookie dough, and Yamino-kun will have a scoop of mint chocolate chip."

Yamino looked as though he approved, especially when the cup of ice cream was placed into his waiting hands. "Your son is adorable," the cashier praised Yuugi.

Yuugi blushed. "He's not my son," he protested, "but thank you."

Yamino got a strange look on his face at that, but apparently had nothing to say about it. They took their seats and Yamino dug in, finishing half his cup before Yuugi decided to speak up.

"I saw you smiling at me," he said, "at lunch."

The boy, who had been sucking the ice cream off his spoon, froze. He gave Yuugi a startled look. "Well," he began, but Yuugi spoke over him.

"And Jonouchi told me what you told him … about remembering things."

Yamino was looking increasingly as if he might want to run away. Yuugi backed up verbally. "If you don't want to talk to me about it, that's all right," he said, trying not to sound disappointed. "We don't really know each other that well, after all."

Yamino didn't answer. He poked his spoon into his remaining ice cream almost thoughtfully. "… It's weird," he said, then ate another mouthful.

Yuugi kept his mouth shut, waiting for Yamino to speak. He took a bite of ice cream for appearances' sake.

Yamino swallowed and looked up, meeting Yuugi's eyes. "… I've really missed you. Aibou."

Yuugi stopped breathing for a moment. He felt his fingers bite into the wax-covered cup, but he didn't speak until he sensed that Yamino was waiting for an answer. "I've missed you too, my other self," he whispered. "Lots of times … every time I play Duel Monsters."

Yamino's jaw twitched, and his expression was solemn. "… I don't remember everything," he said slowly. "I remember you. But … I am not …" He grasped for words. "I'm not really the other you any more. I'm Yamino."

"I know," Yuugi answered, for lack of anything better to say.

"So it's weird," Yamino said. And he started eating his ice cream again.

Yuugi dropped his gaze to his slowly melting ice cream. What would it be like, he wondered, to remember a past life? Even if Yamino remembered everything, it wouldn't be the same as before. As much as Yuugi missed Atem from time to time, he wouldn't want his other self back in his head anyway. Yuugi was a different person now, more mature and independent, and Atem …

Atem was an eight-year-old who was currently smearing ice cream on his cheek. "You need to wipe your face," Yuugi said with a stifled laugh.

Yamino glanced up at him, then colored slightly and rubbed a napkin across his cheeks. Yuugi smiled. "Much better."

But what could Yuugi say? If he had been talking to his other self, he would know what to tell him – how he had grown, about his tournaments, about college and how much fun he had teaching. Atem would have wanted to know. But did Yamino want to know?

"May I try yours?" Yamino asked, pointing at Yuugi's ice cream.

"Oh … you can have it, if you want," Yuugi answered, pushing it towards Yamino. The boy smiled his thanks and took a bite.

And really, wasn't that just it? Part of Yuugi saw Atem in Yamino. The other part of him saw a boy who liked Duel Monsters. At a complete loss for how to continue the conversation, Yuugi just waited for Yamino to speak.

And finally, Yamino did, polishing off Yuugi's ice cream with a satisfied smile before he sobered again. "Thank you for the ice cream."

"You're welcome." Yuugi's smile was fleeting as he waited.

Yamino delivered. "… I wanted to see you," he said. "When I won that raffle, I knew that was why. So I could see you again. But it was so strange when I got to the Duel Academy … I was really proud of you, but I thought, what could I say? It was too weird." Yamino fiddled with his napkin. "I knew when you beat me at the Door that you were going to be great, so it wasn't a surprise." He laughed, an old laugh. "I _am_ proud of you."

It was weird to be told by a child that he was proud of you, but Yuugi still felt warm and happy. "Thank you. You taught me a lot."

Yamino's laugh faded to a fond smile. "… You taught me a lot, too." The smile faded.

Yuugi leaned forward, putting his elbows on the table. "But you were too embarrassed to speak to me, the whole time …?" he asked.

Yamino shook his head, his gaze dropping back to the counter. "I didn't expect to … ever … come back. It's really strange." His voice was strained. "Certainly not in Japan, nor so near to you."

"You didn't know what to say?"

"More than that," Yamino said, and was quiet.

"… You aren't hurt that I—" Yuugi began, but Yamino cut him off.

"It was time," he said suddenly, "for us to go our separate ways." He met Yuugi's eyes, and then he shrugged a little. "But here we are, together anyway." He paused. "I wanted to see you, but I suppose … I wasn't sure if I wanted you to see _me._"

That explained so much. Yuugi licked his lips. "I see Yamino-kun," he said, "who shares some memories with me, because he was once the other me. But he isn't the other me now. He is Yamino."

Yamino smiled a little, and Yuugi felt relieved. "And I see my aibou – no. Yuugi." He visibly swallowed. "Who is wise."

Yuugi let out a slow breath. "… I would like to get you know you again," he confessed.

Yamino gave him an uncertain look. "Are you certain?"

"It must be lonely," Yuugi said, "Remembering those kinds of things. If I can help, I want to."

"Always so giving," Yamino mumbled in a voice Yuugi wasn't certain he was supposed to hear. But the look on his face was hopeful. "I would like that."

The first thing they exchanged was smiles.

_tbc_


	3. Getting to Know You

**Chapter 3: Getting to Know You**

"Finally, for our tournament winner," Yuugi announced the next day, "Yamino Shiisen …"

Yamino stood up from his seat behind Yuugi's little podium. There was clapping and cheering for the boy, and he drank it in, standing tall and flashing a grin. Yuugi watched as parents who had come to the ceremony whispered to each other as they clapped; obviously they had expected someone older to receive the top prize.

"Yamino-kun receives two top-of-the-line Duel Disk sets," Yuugi announced, setting up the parting gift on the podium, "So he can duel his friends with all the excitement of realistic holographic imaging of each card, trap, and spell." A glance at Yamino showed wide eyes: no one had forewarned him what his prize would be. "In addition, he receives an ultra-rare first series card: the Dark Magician."

The card enthusiasts in the audience expressed their appreciation with gasps and then applause. The Dark Magician had been rare even when the first series had been the only card series available, but now it was hard to find indeed. The first series had stopped production several years ago.

Yuugi knew that for Yamino-kun, the Dark Magician would have special significance. He handed the card to Yamino in its protective cover, and the boy took it reverently. "Thank you," he mumbled, whisking his fingers over the card. "I …"

Yuugi grinned and whispered away from the mike, "Now is when you bow and take your prizes."

Yamino's head moved a little, and then the boy bowed deeply, and again to the crowd a little less deeply. Yuugi put the two Duel Disks in a bag and handed it to Yamino before the boy went back to his seat. "Another round of applause for Yamino-kun, please," he requested, and received it.

"With that we conclude the award ceremony, and this year's Duel Academy," Yuugi continued. "You've all done well this summer, and I hope to see many of you again next year. Always remember …"

"The heart of the cards!" the students chorused with Yuugi, and there were scattered giggles. Yuugi laughed. "Right! See you next year!" Yuugi stepped to the side of the podium and bowed; the students all stood and bowed back, and with that, the crowd broke up, moving towards the refreshments and each other to talk and catch up and collect errant children.

Yamino, clutching his prizes, trotted to Yuugi's side as Yuugi started down the stage steps. "You picked out the Dark Magician specifically for me, didn't you?" he accused. "You didn't give it to me out of your own deck, did you …?" By the sound of it, the thought distressed him.

Yuugi shook his head. "No; I had Kaiba-kun buy one. They go on sale online now and then." He offered the boy a smile. "I knew you would like to have one, though."

"That … thank you," Yamino said again. "I never thought—"

"Yamino!"

The boy looked up sharply. Yuugi followed his gaze to a tall man with short spiky hair, who currently had three small children in tow – one on his arm, and the other two grabbing his pants legs. "Congratulations!" the man said, slapping Yamino on the back hard enough to make the boy stumble.

Yamino looked nonplussed for a moment. "I, ah – look what I won," he said, opening the bag and holding up its contents for the man to inspect. "Rumi-kun will be excited, too!"

"Oh, two of them! He will be excited," the man agreed, but this time it was over protest.

"Daaad! Dad, I wanna have lemonade!" the girl on one pants leg whined.

"Me too!" piped up the other child, a boy with an odd birthmark arching up his neck from under his collar. It took Yuugi a moment to realize that the pocked skin was no birthmark: it was burn scars. Yuugi had similar ones, faded, on his palms and back. He was struck dumb for a moment.

Yamino offered up his bag to the man, who took it in his free hand. "I'll take them," he promised, holding out his hands. "I want some, too."

The two children took Yamino's offered hands. "Yami-niisan!"

"Don't let them have too much, or Kenichi will have to go to the bathroom six hundred times," the man griped.

"I won't," Yamino promised, taking the children in the direction of the refreshment table.

Yuugi was left alone with the man – no, Yamino's current guardian. "Ah, Sagara-san, I take it?" Yuugi asked.

"That's me," the man answered, shifting the child on his hip and still smiling. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you in person, Mutou-san." He put down the Duel Disks and held out his hand.

"Likewise." Yuugi took the proffered hand and shook it firmly. "Yamino-kun really shined at the Duel Academy. He was a delight to have around."

"I keep saying that," Sagara laughed. "I'm sorry, I'm just happy to see he's had such a great time. You can tell he's really happy."

Yuugi looked past Sagara to where Yamino was handing the little ones cups of lemonade. "Please don't take this the wrong way, Sagara-san, but are any of these children yours?"

"Not to the best of my knowledge." Yuugi gave him a slightly startled look, and the man waved his hand. "A joke, a joke! I'm married … my wife is a doc, general practitioner. It's unusual, I suppose, but I stay home with the kids. We can't have any of our own."

"But you didn't adopt?" Yuugi couldn't help asking.

"We thought about it, trust me," Sagara said. "But for now, we're just a foster home … the kids who haven't been adopted yet need homes too, after all." He shrugged. "Yamino hasn't been with us that long, but we hope he can stay until he's at least ten. After that, he has to move on; we're not certified for the older kids."

Yuugi nodded sagely, although he couldn't help but feel lost. He didn't know anything about the foster care system, after all. "Hey, I was wondering … if I could visit Yamino-kun once in a while?"

Sagara blinked. "… Lemme ask my wife before I answer that," he said dubiously.

Yuugi simultaneously felt disappointment and a fierce gratefulness to Sagara for his protectiveness. "I'm kind of glad you answered that way," he laughed. "I think Yamino-kun would like to think he can take care of himself, but—"

"All foster kids think that way," Sagara sighed. "Comes from moving around so much, you know? They learn to rely on themselves because that's the only constant … but I think you might like to know, Yamino wouldn't shut up about you or this camp when I got here. As if I know what he's talking about, with these 'Sum Skulls' and Ankh cards or whatever. It's great to see him so excited about something … I think you're his idol."

"No way," Yuugi blushed. _No … I'm his aibou._

"Don't be like that. With Yamino, you've got to earn that," Sagara praised Yuugi. "I'd better go collect them, now … thanks again, Mutou-san."

"My pleasure," Yuugi answered, shaking the man's hand once more before Sagara set off across the grounds in the direction of his foster children.

Yuugi didn't look away immediately. Sagara offered Yamino his bag, but ended up hanging onto it while Yamino took the hands of the two smaller children. He was talking and smiling, and Yuugi smiled to see it. The smile faded when he remembered that this was temporary: too soon, Yamino would be moving into another home, where he would probably be the youngest child instead of the oldest.

"That his family?" Jonouchi asked, appearing with his plate piled high.

"As close as he's got," Yuugi answered with a sigh.

&

In a strange reversal of the usual way of things, Yuugi still lived in the apartment above the Turtle Game Shop with his grandfather. His parents, who were rarely home in any case, had rented an apartment in Tokyo as it was closer to their jobs.

Sugoroku still ran the little shop, but with the help of two assistants and over the weekend, Yuugi as well. When Honda was in town he would also help, but it was rare; his job as a business consultant took him all over Japan and occasionally overseas.

Yamino was too young to have his own phone, of course, although Yuugi obtained permission from Sagara and his wife to call Yamino 'once in a while' at the house. He lived in the heart of Tokyo, which was a good hour away from Domino City by train, so seeing one another wasn't easy, and Sagara and his wife were both understandably a bit suspicious of Yuugi's intentions.

"I'm sorry about my foster parents," Yamino said one time on the phone. "It's impossible to explain to them."

"I understand," Yuugi had shrugged, laying out on his couch after a long day at school. "You should be grateful that they look out for your safety."

"But you are _you_," Yamino protested. "How can they suspect you?"

"Yamino-kun," Yuugi said patiently, "They don't know me."

"They could know you," Yamino shot back.

"It's not that simple," Yuugi sighed. It seemed that Yamino, like Atem, lacked understanding of the way the modern world worked. "From their perspective, they worry: why would a twenty-six-year-old want to be friends with an eight-year-old?"

Curiously, Yamino never answered the question. After a moment of silence, he completely changed the subject.

Several months after Duel Academy, Sagara allowed Yamino to exchange addresses with Yuugi. Yuugi received several dire threats from Mrs. Sagara regarding what exactly would happen to him if he did anything untoward with that information, and they began to send one another letters. Yuugi already knew Yamino liked ice cream, but he discovered Yamino also had a soft spot for pizza. His 'siblings' were Kenichi (five), Kaorin (six), and Shinta (the baby), and apparently Yamino was in charge of taking Kenichi and Kaorin home from school every day. His birthday was in March, listed as the day he was found in Tokyo.

Yamino, unlike the other Yuugi, liked sports as well. He liked his ancient history class, but sometimes his memories were contrary to what the teacher taught. Math was his worst subject. Rumi, Yamino's best friend in school, was enjoying his Duel Disk a lot; Yamino still beat him every time they played, though.

In exchange, Yuugi told Yamino about teaching his own ancient history class. He wrote about Sugoroku and how the shop was doing, and told him about Anzu's last e-mail which had cheerfully informed Yuugi that she was actually performing as a background dancer on Broadway this season. He talked about Mokuba's schooling and how Seto was revolutionizing 'Dungeon Dice' now with his technology.

And then, in January, Yuugi received an unexpected surprise.

In Domino the winter was rarely snowy: instead it was wet with sleet and freezing rain. It was on one such day that Yuugi slogged home from his job and entered the shop (as was his custom) to find Sugoroku playing none other than Yamino Shiisen in a game of tabletop Duel Monsters.

"Aw, geez, you win again," Sugoroku was sighing, throwing his hands up in the air. "You're incredibly good at this!"

"I try," Yamino answered, gathering up his cards again.

"Yamino?" Yuugi asked, staring.

The boy's head whipped around. "A—Yuugi," he said. He slid off his stool and trotted across the floor, waiting expectantly for Yuugi to remove his scarf and coat before he pressed himself almost reverently into Yuugi's chest, hugging him. Yuugi blinked at that and hugged back, giving Sugoroku a questioning look. His grandfather shrugged back.

"He arrived around four-thirty," Sugoroku said, "asking for you. It was a pleasure to finally meet Yamino-kun after hearing so much about him."

"Yes, I'm … thrilled," Yuugi mumbled. "Yamino, why are you here?" There was no way the Sagaras had let Yamino come all the way to Domino on his own. And if he rode on a train … "Did you ditch class?"

"No." Yamino's tone brooked hurt as he pulled away. "I took Kenichi and Kaorin home before I left."

"… and did you get permission?" Yuugi asked, already knowing the answer. Yamino didn't even bother to answer; his jaw clicked shut as he met Yuugi's eyes defiantly. Yuugi sighed. "Yamino …"

"I am not just a child!" Yamino flared quietly, his voice a harsh whisper.

Yuugi pursed his lips. "Grandpa, I'm going to take Yamino to get something to eat in the kitchen. Come on, Yamino." He straightened and started towards the back of the shop, where the stairs leading up into the apartment were located. Lighter, quicker footsteps behind him told Yuugi that Yamino was following. In the kitchen, Yuugi pulled out a chair. "Sit down, Yamino."

Yamino opened his mouth with a scowl, but then he shut it again and took the seat, drawing his legs up to his chest and wrapping his arms around them. Yuugi sat down next to him, turning his chair towards the boy. "Did you tell your guardians where you were going?" Yuugi asked point-blank.

Yamino's eyes dropped. "No," he said. Yuugi sighed, and Yamino scowled. "I didn't know where I was going yet, anyway."

Yuugi scrubbed his hand back through his hair. "You should have told _someone,_" he said. "You _are_ a child. What if someone tried to take you on the train?"

"I—"Yamino started, but Yuugi spoke over him.

"You have a kid's body, Yamino! You wouldn't be able to fight back. And unless I'm mistaken, you won't be Shadow-Gaming them into insanity in this lifetime."

Yamino had the grace to flush. "Aibou—"

"The Sagaras are probably worried sick," Yuugi pointed out. "When you and I were the same person, it was easier, I know … but we were older, and Grandpa looked after us. You have to look after yourself, which means letting other people look out for you." Yuugi felt a little odd lecturing his other self, but on the other hand, it wasn't so odd lecturing Yamino.

"… All right, I concede the point," the boy said after a moment. "Can I speak?"

Yuugi blinked when there was no argument. "Of course."

"I'm moving." Yamino's arms tightened a little around his knees. "In a few weeks, my foster home is changing again."

Clearly this was an upsetting event. Yuugi tried to think of something to say that wasn't a useless platitude, but nothing sprang to mind. "Oh … I'm sorry."

"I've been with the Sagaras for nearly a year, so it was a pretty long stay," Yamino continued, resting his chin on his knees. "But I'm going to be nine soon, and they can't take care of kids over ten. I have to move because a two-year-old is coming there instead." He paused for a moment. "I could have told you in a letter, I guess, but … I wanted to see you." The smile the boy flashed was ironic. "It seems that I still need you more than you need me."

Yuugi flinched inwardly and found himself speechless.

Yamino wasn't looking at him, and it seemed he'd reached the end of his short speech.

After a while it seemed that Yuugi was going to have to break the silence. He struggled for the right words; he didn't want to lie and say that he needed Yamino, because he didn't, although he certainly wanted Yamino to remain in his life. But Yamino needed to hear something comforting. "You're a child," Yuugi said slowly. "Of course you need me. When you get older, you'll become more independent."

Yamino barked a laugh. "Three lifetimes and you are still my elder. The gods are surely laughing at me." He was bitter. Yuugi wondered if Yamino knew where he was moving to and if he liked it. _It's surely getting harder as he gets older, to remember so many things and yet still be so dependent on people who couldn't possibly understand …_

Which was when a crazy idea formed in his head. Yuugi sat up suddenly as the light dawned. It wasn't something to do lightly, though, and for Yuugi it would be a huge responsibility, even if Yamino was not just any eight-year-old. Yuugi almost blurted it out anyway, catching himself at the last moment. "I—!"

Yamino gave him a startled look. "Yuugi?" he asked, seemingly jolted out of his self-pitying reverie.

"—I should call your guardians," Yuugi finished lamely. "The last train from Tokyo to Domino would have left half an hour ago, so you'll probably at least be able to stay the night."

Yamino's mood had drooped at the mention of the Sagaras, but it brightened immediately at the thought of sleeping over. "Really?" he asked with a mischievous voice.

Yuugi sighed dramatically. "Yes, although I have little doubt you're going to be in a lot of trouble. And you should be," he added under his breath.

But Yamino was getting up from the table and half-running for the stairs. "Is your room still the same one?" he asked. "I remember where it is!"

"That's an office now!" Yuugi called back, taking the kitchen phone out of its cradle and dialing a number that only a few people had access to.

"Kaiba," came the voice on the other end.

Yuugi smiled at Seto's stern tone. It was pretty late in the evening, and he hadn't exactly expected Seto to answer. "Kaiba-kun," he started, "What can you tell me about the adoption process?"

&

Yuugi was right about it being a big responsibility. He didn't tell Yamino right away, not wanting to get his hopes up as he learned about the process and started it. Child Services did a thorough investigation of his home life and his free time, assessing whether or not Yuugi would be a capable caretaker given that he was single and living with only his aging grandfather. Yuugi had to participate in several interviews and show his credentials with children, which he fortunately had plenty of given his job as a teacher. The entire process leading up to Yuugi's opportunity to begin his guardianship (if not the actual adoption) took three weeks, during which Yuugi was in Tokyo every weekend.

It was a Sunday when Yuugi appeared at the Sagara's front door, official papers clutched in his fingers. He raised his hand to knock when the door opened. Yamino stood there with a big bag slung over his shoulders and his Duel Disk under his arm. Sagara was right behind him.

Both of them looked up in surprise, although Sagara's shocked look disentigrated into a pleased smirk. "Well, it looks like he's already here, Yamino."

Yamino twisted to look up at Sagara, then back at Yuugi. "But that's not – that's --?"

"Your new guardian," Sagara answered. "Did I forget to tell you there was a change in plans? It must have slipped my mind."

It was a rare moment that Yuugi was able to render Atem in any of his incarnations utterly speechless. The boy stared at him, mouth half-open.

"He's not lying," Yuugi grinned, crouching. "I'm officially your guardian, hopefully to adopt." He bent his head towards Yamino's so their foreheads touched. "When I told you I wanted to help this summer, I meant it, you know."

The hug Yuugi was tackled with very nearly knocked him to the floor. "Yuugi," Yamino gasped in his ear, and Yuugi could feel his grin against his cheek. "_Thank you_."

'You're welcome' just didn't seem to address the grateful tone in Yamino's voice, so Yuugi just hugged him back as tightly as he could.

&

_Six months later_

&

"Congratulations, Mutou-san, Shiisen-kun," the judge said, smiling warmly. "You are free to take Shiisen-kun home with you."

The courtroom – populated by Jonouchi, Honda, Mokuba, Anzu (who had taken the time to fly halfway across the world at the news), and the Sagaras – broke out into applause. Yuugi grinned brightly at Yamino, who smiled back. They stood to leave, Yuugi taking Yamino's hand, and the small group filed out, laughing and talking, patting Yamino on the shoulder and slapping Yuugi on the back.

"Now you gotta call Yuugi 'otou-san'," Honda snickered, ruffling Yamino's hair and earning himself a glare in response.

"Nah, Yuugi's a brother kinda guy," Jonouchi snorted, nudging Honda in the ribs. "It's 'Yuugi-niisan'."

"What about 'aniki'?" Anzu said thoughtfully.

Yuugi and Yamino exchanged grins again, but it was Yamino who answered. "No," he said, still beaming a child's smile with old, laughing eyes. "I think I'll call him 'Yuugi'. Just … Yuugi."

And that, as they say, was that.

_Fin_

**A/N: **_Well, that's done! Thank goodness, this last chapter was like pulling teeth. Trying to keep Yamino at least a little like Atem while addressing his guardianship and issues Atem never tackled was a challenge, which I'm not certain I succeeded at._

_I know nothing about the adoption process in Japan or the US. Given what happened to the Kaiba brothers, the YuGiOh! world's adoption process probably isn't all that thorough anyway. Either that or Gozaburo was really good at covering his ass. Who knows?_

'_Shiisen' is theoretically composed of the characters 'seven' (shichi) and 'thousand' (sen). ('sennen' is lit. 'thousand years'.) Where would a family get a name like that? Maybe they were a legion of a family once upon a time. Yamino's parentage is of no consequence to the story, so I simply decided not to address it._

_I'm sorry about the lack of Kaiba and Jonouchi in this last chapter. They just weren't being conveniently available enough._

_Thank you for reading and thank you to everyone who reviewed this story: Cun, Talia Ali, kiki2222, FantomoDrako, and Dr. Watson. Doctor, I did correct the name of the card in the first chapter. Thank you for your input._

_And now finally, THE END. Argh._


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